Communion-service.



J. SCHAUB.

COMMUNION SERVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 8. 1912.

1,156,319. Patented Oct. 12, 1915.

'lNl/EN TOR Jacob J chaub.

4 TTORNEYS FTQE.

JACOB SGHAUB, OF LOGAN, UTAH.

COMMUNION-SERVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 12, 1915.

Application filed May 8, 1912. Serial No. 695,832.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB Senate, a citizen of the United States, residing in Logan, county of Cache, and State of Utah, have invented a certain new and useful Communion- Service, of which the following is a specification.

This invention appertains to a communion service, and, more particularly, to means whereby individual containers may be thoroughly sterilized after the containers shall have been used and without the risk of breakage or injury to said containers.

The administration of the sacrament in church services by the use of cups and glasses wherein the lips of the communicants are brought into contact with the cups or other containers, is highly objectionable upon sanitary grounds, and such practices have been condemned by medical and ecclesiasti cal authorities; but so far as I am aware no satisfactory devices have been proposed or employed to mitigate the objection. It is common to employ individual glass cups of small capacity, but such substitutes are open to objection upon hygienic grounds, for the reasonthat they require to be thoroughly washed and sterilized, are liable to be broken during the sterilizing process or when dropped upon the floor, thus entailing expense, and when filling or serving them the hands are brought into contact with said cups.

The object of this invention is to overcome the foregoing, and other, objections inherent in the service of the communion to an assemblage or congregation. Accordingly, the invention embodies means by which a number of individual containers may be rapidly sterilized and without requiring the hands of the operator to touch the containers either in sterilizing, filling or serving them. In a practical embodiment of the invention, a number of containers are positioned in a carrying member, and a number of these members are assembled one upon the other in such manner that relative movement of the members to each other cannot take place, whereby a number of members loaded with the containers can be easily handled so as to place them within a sterilizing tank, withdraw them from the tank, or empty them of the water so that the heated surfaces will dry by exposure to the air.

It is preferred to assemble the carrying members for containers of one member to fit or nest partly into the containers of an adj acent member or members, thereby securing such an arrangement of the containers that free spaces are left between their surfaces, through which spaces liquid is adapted to flow. During, the sterilizing operation, water and steam are free tocirculate within and without'the containers; after removal from the sterilizing tank, thecarrying members and containers may be turned over or inverted to drain off the water, and when it is desired to fill the containers with liquid, the nested carrying members and containers may be dipped into such liquid, thereby simultaneously filling the containers.

For convenience in handling the assembled carrying members and containers, it is preferred to lock said carrying members together, and, further, to 'so construct the carrying members'that, when assembled or nested, no relative movement between the members can take place.

Other features of the invention, and the advantage's'thereof, will appear from the annexed detailed description.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated one practical embodiment of the invention, but the construction shown therein is to be understood asillustrative, only, and not as defining the limits of the inven- Figure 1 is a vertical section, partly in elevation, through 'adevice for sterilizing a number of containers, said device being positioned within a sterilizing tank. Fig. 2 is a plan view offthe device removed from the sterilizing tank. Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section through twoof'the carrying members for supporting the containers in nested relation,'the plane of the section being indicated'by the" dotted line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. i is an end view of the device shown in Fig. 3. V

The device forsterilizing the containers embodies one or more carrying members A each of which is provided with a series of apertures a. As shown, each carrying member is a metal plate provided at its side edges with dependingfianges a. and at its ends withlegs B. The. legs are integral with the plate, the latter being preferably composed of sheet metal pressed into the desired shape by suitable dies for rapidly and economically manufacturing the parts of sterilizing device. The apertures a are punched or pressed in the metal o plate A, v

it being preferred to surround each aperture with a depending flange a", said flange a? being slightly conical in order that con tainers C will wedge or bind thei'nselves into themselves into position within the flanged apertures of the carrying member. Ob viously, each carrying member may have any desired number of apertures, but as shown in Fig. 2, the plate of member A is provided with two rows of apertures, each row consisting of nine apertures.

Depending legs B are provided at the respective ends of each carrying member A, each leg B being in the form of a plate, the length of which is equal nearly to the width of the carrying member. The legs B are provided at their side edges with flanges Z), said flanges being slightly inclined and con verging downwardly. In addition to the side flanges b, the legs 13 are provided with lugs 7), two of said lugs being employed on each of the depending legs B. The lugs are struck up from the metal composing the plate of leg B, and after cutting the plate, the metal between the cuts is bent inwardly so as to result in the lugs b. Said lugs are positioned intermediate the side flanges b and between the top and bottom edges of the plate, whereby the lugs are intermediate the height of the leg The described construction of the carrying member provides for the assemblage of a number of containers in compact relation, said containers being practically nested together. In assembling the members, a mem her A is placed over a corresponding member A and lowered into position so that the legs B of one member will fit against the outside surfaces of the legs B on the member below it, and, furthermore, the side flanges Z) of one member will fit into or between the side flanges Z) on the member below it. When placing the members together, the upper member is lowered with reference to the lower member until lugs 7) rest upon the plate of the lower member, thus limiting the downward movement of the upper member with respect to member below it. This construction allows the carrying members to be assembled compactly, and when said members .are fitted together no relative movement can take place between the members for the following reasons :First, the overlapping legs B on adjacent members preclude an endwise movement of either member in one direction or the other; second, the engagement of the side flanges 2) prevents any sidewise movement between the nested members, and the engagement of lugs I) on one member with the member below it limits the vertical movement or displacement between the members. t is to be understood, accordingly, that the parts are so positioned that they cannot become accidentally separated during the operational? manipulating or handling the device, and, furthermore, said parts are compactly arranged with relation to each other, whereby a large number of containers C may be easily and quickly handled for the several purposes specified.

Each container (1 is composed of suitable material, such as sheet metal, preferablya metal which will not corrode or oxidize. The container is spun, punched or otherwise manufactured so as to produce the containers in large quantities economically, and said containers are preferably of the tapering form shown in Figs: 1 and 8. The con tainer is inserted into a flanged opening a of the carrying member so as to be held frictionally therein, the taper of the container being such that it will be supported by the flanged opening intermediate the height of the container thereby leaving the upper and lower parts of said container projecting beyond the upper and lower sides of the carrying memb r, see F i g. 3. The ca 'rying members are so spaced apart, and the containers are suspended in such positions within the carrying members that the lower partof the containers in onec'arrying member will fit or nest within the containers of the carrying member below it, as shown in Fig. 3. then properly assembled the nested containers will not be in contact on their opposing surfaces, that is to say, each container of an upper member will be suspended within the container of a lower member with the surfaces of the two members free from contact, thus leaving a free space c between the nested members.

Means are provided for locking the connected members so that the device may be handled as a unit when introducing said device into a sterilizing tank I), or withdrawing said device from said tank, or otherwise manipulating the derice, as for example when pouring water ofl the containers when sterilizing them, or when filling the containers by immersing the entire device in a suitable liquid. The plates A areprovided with small apertures each having an offset or slot 6 so as to produce what may be desig nated as key-hole slots, and when th plates are assembled by positioning them one upon the other so that thelegs B, their flanges b and the lugs I) operate to correctly determine the relative positions of said carrying members, then the hey-hole slots in the several members are in alinement vertically. Locking rods E, E are provided with shoulders a and these rods are adapted to be thrust downwardly through the alined lrey hole slots of the assembled members, the shoulders c passing through the notches or offsets e of the keyhole slots, after which the rods are turned part way around so as to move the shoulders e out of register with thenotches the key-hole slots; The rodsare provided with collars f having set screws f, and, furthermore, the rods are provided at their upper ends with arms 9. After the rods have been thrust through the key-hole slots of the carrying members and turned for the shoulders, e not to regso that the arms and sleeve will serve the purpose of a handle in manipulating the connected series of carrying members and the containers therein.

It will be observed that shoulders e of the locking rods are positioned below the plate of the bottom carrying member, whereas the collars are positioned on the rods above the uppermost carrying member, whereby the shoulders and collars are adj ustable on the locking rods according to the number of carrying members which are to be locked together, and the locking rods constructed as described are thus" adapted for securely holding together any desired number of the carrying members. Thus, in Fig. a series of six carrying members are held together by the locking rods, whereas in Fig. 3 the collars are adjusted on the rods to adapt them for locking together two of the carrying members.

In using the device for sterilizing and other purposes, a required number of containers C are placed within the apertures a of thebottom carrying member, and the same is true with respect to each of the other carrying members. The carrying members loaded with containers are placed one upon the other by the legs 13 of one member fitting betwen the flanges Z; of the legs of the member below it, the lugs b of one member resting upon the plate of the lower member. The locking rods E, E are inserted and turned, after which sleeve 9 is adjusted to connect the arms 9 of the two locking rods, see Figs. 1 and 2. When thus assembled, the carrying members are locked securely together and the containers are nested in a way to leave the free spaces 0 between the surfaces of the nested containers. The de vice may now be lowered into the sterilizing tank D, and the cover 1). placed upon said tank. The tank should be filled with water and placed on a stove or other heater so that the water will be heated, and the heated water and steam will fill the containers so as to circulate through the containers and through the spaces 0, thereby thoroughly sterilizing the containers. The device may be easily lifted out of the tank by the handle, and it may be turned over on the side or inverted so to drain off the water, these thereof.

operations being performed without displacing the containers from the carrying members.

The device may be used, also, for filling the containers when assembled, as heretofore described and illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. After the containers shall have been depositedin the carrying members, and'said members are locked together by the rods, the entire structure may be dipped in a suitable liquid, the latter being free to flow through spaces a so as to substantially fill the containers.

The entire device fulfils all the requirements from a sanitary standpoint, and it enables the work of sterilizing and filling the containers to be effectedcollectively by very simple and efficient means.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a plurality of containercarrying members positioned one upon the other, a plurality of locking rods passing through end portions of said container carrying members, each rod having locking en a ement with saidmembers and ahandle' detachablv connected to said locking rods and operating to retain said rods in looking engagement with said members.

2. In a devlce of the class described, the combination ofv a plurallty of carrying members positioned one upon the other, containers positioned in said members for the containers of one member to nest intothe containers of another member, and means for retaining said carrying members in a connected 3. A device of the class described embodying a plurality of carrying members perforated for the reception of a number of containers, containers positioned in the open- 4. A device of the class described embodying a plurality of carrying members positioned one above the other, each member having openings, and containers fitted in said openings and supported by said members, the containers of one member nesting within the containers of an adjacent mem-- her, the surfaces of said nested containers being free from contact, thereby leaving free spaces between the nested containers.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of a plurality of carrying members, and a plurality of series of containers condition to" facilitate handling LOO supported by said carrying members, the containers of one series being nested with reference to the containers of an adjacent series, the surfaces of the nested containers being free from contact, thereby leaving free spaces between said nested containers.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of a plurality of carrying members, a plurality of series of containers sup ported by said carrying members, the containers of one series being nested with reference to the containers of an adjacent se ries, the surfaces of the nested containers being free from contact, thereby leaving free spaces between said nested containers, and means for retaining the carrying members in connected condition whereby the device when loaded with containers may be manipulated as a unit.

7. In a device of the class described, a plurality of carrying members each provided with depending legs, the side edges of which are flanged, the legs or" one member being slidably fitted tothe legs of the member below it, the legs of the superposed member lying between the side flanges on the legs of the subjacent member.

8. In a device of the class described, a plurality of carrying members each provided with outwardly inclined depending legs, the inclined legs of one member being slidably fitted to the inclined legs of the member below it, and lugs extending inwardly from said depending legs and positioned intermediate the "ends thereof for arresting the sliding movement of the members with reference to each other.

'9. In a device of the class described, the combination of a series of carrying members positioned one upon the other, separate rotatable locking rods passing through end portions of said members, said rods having lugs positioned for locking engagement with the lower member and said rods being removable individually from said members, and 5 handle detachably fastened to said rods and retaining them in locked engagement with the carrying members.

10. In a device of the class described, the combination of a series of carrying members positioned one upon the other, said members having key-hole slots, and locking rods provided with studs, said rodsand studs being adapted to pass through said slots and to de tachably lock the members together.

11. In a device of the class described, the combination of a series of carrying members positioned one upon the other, said members I having key-hole slots, and locking rods provided with studs, and with angular arms, said rods and studs being operable to lock the carrying members together, and means for connecting the arms of the locking rods whereby the connected arms are adapted to serve as a handle for manipulating the device.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JACOB SCHAUB.

l/Vitnesses: M. G. RODRIGUEZ, H. T. BERNHARD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, I). C. 

